Broadcast seed-sower



(No ModeL) G STEVBNSON.

BROADCAST SEED SWER.

. Y w MMM QEYWHMI W/NVESSES ilnrrnn STATES Partnr @stica GEORGE STEVENSON, OF ZIONSVILLE, INDIANA.

BROADCAST SEED-SOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,698. dated January 25, 1837.

Serial No, 204.627. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Srnvnnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Zionsville, in the county of Boone and State of In diana, have invented certain neu and useful Improvements in Broadcast Seed-Somers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Myinvention consists in an improved broadcast seed-sewer in which by reciprocating a bow of the usual construction provided with a double cord the scattering-Wheel is revolved continuously in one direction through the mechanism hereinafter described, and in which, also, I provide means for saving one fifth of the seed, which would otherwise be Wasted and lost, all as will be hereinafter full y described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figurel is apcrspective View of my improved broadcast seedsower. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line :u fr, Fig. 1, and Fig. i is a detail perspective View of the ratchet-Wheels on the shaft of the scattering-Wheel.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures. f

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the main frame, the upper portion of Which forms the hopper B, having the partition or bot-toni B', and upon this Wooden hopper I secure the canvas bag C, which forms the upper port-ion of the hopper in which the grain is held. In the front end of the frame A is j ournaled the vert-ical shaft D, upon which is tightly keyed, near its upper end, the scattering-Wheel E, which may be of any suitable u and desired construction, and which passes beneath the forward portion of the bottom of the hopper, so as to receive the seed which falls from the hopper through an opening, B2, in the bottom of the same; and to prevent the seed from clogging up this feed-opening in the bottom of the hopper I secure upon the shaft D, immediately above the scattering- Wheel E, an eccentric, F', which ts and turns in a circular opening, F", in the forward portion of a plate, F, the reduced rear end of which slides in a guide, G,while it is provided to the rear of its aperture Fiwith an upwardly extending ringer, H, which extends up within the feed-opening in the bottom of the hopper; and it will be seen that as the wheelshaft is revolved, as hereinafter described, the said nger will be vibrated in the said feedopening so to effectually prevent the seed from clogging therein, as will be readily understood. The amount of seed orgrain fed down through the feed-opening is regulated by a slide or gate, II', which is opened and closed by the set-screw I, by means of which the gate can be accurately adjusted to regulate the amount of grain passing through the feedopening.

Upon the central portion of that part of the shaft D between the scatteringwheel and its lower end is tightly secured a double ratchetwheel, J, having teeth J on both sides, as shown, inclined in the same direction, while above and below this double ratchet-wheel are loosely mounted upon the shaft D the single ratchet-wheels K K, having the teeth on their inner facing sides inclined in the same direction, as shown, and being formed each with the annularlygrooved hubs K', and these single ratchet-wheels are held normally in engagement with the central double Wheel by the coiled springs L, arranged as shown.

M represents the reciprocating rod or bow, to the ends of which are secured the double cord N, the central portion of each cord being wound once around the grooved hub of its ratohetwheel, the cords passing around the ratchetwheels in opposite directi ons, as clearly shown in the drawings, the result of this arrangement of the drive-cords being that as the bow is drawn in one direction the ratchet- Wheels will be revolved in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the same result of course following when the motion of the rod is reversed.

It will be seen that in operation, when the operator draws the reciprocating rod back and IOO forth, on each stroke of the bow one of the two loose ratchet-wheels will engage iwiththe teeth of the central double ratchet-wheel secured upon the shaft, thereby revolving the shaft and scattering-wheel rapidly, while the other loose ratchet-wheel, being revolved in the opposite direction, will slip over the teeth of the central fixed ratchet-wheel in the opposite direction to that in which the said cen-` tral wheel is being rotated, while on the reverse stroke the direction of the loose ratchetwheel is reversed,and the one then turned in the direction in which the shaft was revolved on the previous stroke will engage with the teeth of the central wheel, and vthus continue the revolution of the shaft in one direction, while theother loose wheel will be revolved in the opposite direction, slipping over the teeth of the central. wheel.

From the foregoing1 description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that by this mechanism I obtain a rapid and continuous revolution of the scattering-wheel in one continuous direction while reciprocating the bow in the usual. manner, this continuous revolution of the wheel in one direction serving to scatter the seed or grain evenly and equally, as there are no sudden stops and reverse movements of the scatteringwheel, which occur where the wheel is reversed wit-h each stroke of the bow, as is now the case.

Instead of the bands or cords here shown, I may employ cogged racks fitting into cogs or teeth formed on the hubs of the loose ratchet-wheels,which wouldproduce precisely the same result, without departing from the spirit of my invention. This mechanism for revolving a shaft or wheel in one continuous direction bynieans of a reciprocating rod may be employed for ruiming any kind of machinery. For example, l can obtain a direct and continuous revolving motion from the pistonrod of an engine and dispense with the usual crank.

That portion of the main frame A below the bottom of the hopper forms a box or receptacle, 0,' having a closed bottom and rear end, the forward end of this receptacle, directly opposite the scattering-wheel, being left open when sowing valuable seeds-such as clover. dreiand as the scattering-wheel in its rapid yrevolution distributes t-he seed in all directions--that is, in a perfect circle-it will bc seen that one-filth of the seed will be caught and retained in this box or receptacle, which would otherwise be distributed on the ground which had already been planted by seed thrown forward by the scattering-wheel, thereby sowing a large portion of the ground double and throwing away and wasting fully one-fifth of the valuable seeds being sown, while the box or receptacle of my improved seed-sewer catches and prevents from falling on the ground already sown all of the seed ground, the other fifth of the wheel throwing v its seed into the box as it passes the open mout-h of the same, and when a sufficient quantity 0f seed has been collected in the box the gate `R at the rear end of the same is openedand the seed poured out and replaced in the hopper.

Having thus described `my invention, what i I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The combination, with the hopper having the feed-opening, of the vertical shaft carrying the scattering-wheel and having secured upon its lower portion the double ratchet-wheel having its teeth on both sides inclined in the same direction, the loosely-mounted ratchet-wheels having the grooved hubs, the spiral springs arranged as described, and the bow having the double cord wound once around the said grooved hubs in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improvement in broadcast seedsewers, the combination, with a scatteringwheel and suitable means for operating the same, of a box or receptacle having an open forward end and arranged to catch that portion of the seed thrown to the rear of the said wheel.

3. The combination, with the main frame forming the box or receptacle closed withthe exception of its forward end, and havingthe discharge-opening in its rear end and the sliding gate closing the same, of the shaftjournaled in the forward end of the main frame andcarrying the scattering-wheel, and means, substantially as described, for rotating the same.

4. The combination, withthe main frame forming the box or receptacle closed with the exception of its forward end, and having the discharge-opening in its rear end and thesliding gate closing the same, of the shaft journaled in the forward end of the main frame and carrying the scattering-wheel, means, substantially as described, for rotating the same, and the removable slide for closing the forward end of the box when desired, and the springcatch for holding the same in position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE STEVEN SON IVitnesses.

DIS JOHN -l- PrrrMAN,

mark.

JOHN F. STEPHENSON, 

